Stay with Me
by Babiip
Summary: He saw her nearly jumping down the roof. She saw the loneliness in his eyes. He vowed to stay by her. She vowed to stay by him. Just what would be the end to this tenure? Ichihime.
1. Chapter 1

_I started this story sooooo long ago. But then, I didn't have time, and now, two years later, I rewrote all the chapters, and re-uploaded them. For people who actually have read this story before (if there are any here :P), they are just minor changes. I didn't change the storyline at all.  
_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own __Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

_"The teenagers who jumped were Azumiya Narumi, aged 14, and Ishimoto Akana, aged 15. Both girls received serious injuries, and died before the ambulances arrived. The Education Department has asked all schools to keep an eye on students with signs of..." _

The sound subsided as Inoue Orihime shut down the television. _To take their own lives..._ She thought, as she put on the ribbon on her uniform's collar. She slipped her shoes on, passed through the door, and closed the door behind her. _Why would they do that?_

Three hours later, during lunchtime, Inoue Orihime was still pondering the same question. She leaned against the rails of the school rooftop, and poked her upper body past the rail. _I wonder how they had felt when they jumped?_

She remained in the position for a while, sometimes shifting more of her weight to the other side of the rail, trying to simulate the sensation falling down the building.

Suddenly, a yell came from behind her.

"Don't!" A male voice yelled.

Before she could even turn her head or do anything in response, she was pulled backwards strongly onto the ground. A yelp escaped her mouth as she felt her backside hit something which was noticeably softer than the ground.

"Owie..." She murmured, as she turned her head to gaze into a pair of hazelnut eyes.

And messy, bright orange hair.

And a full-fledged frown.

"What the hell were you thinking!" Yelled the boy who had caught her. "Whatever your problem is, killing yourself can't solve anything! There must be other ways!" His brows were knitted tightly together, his nostrils were flaring, and his hair seemed to be standing straight in anger. His eyes were burning, like an angry forest fire.

"But..." Shell-shocked, Orihime could only whisper softly.

The boy seemed not to have heard her. Instead, he carried on, "No matter what the problem, killing yourself can't solve anything! Not to mention people who know you will be sad! How about your parents? How do you think they would feel?" And he went on and on.

"Excuse me, but..." Orihime stuttered. The boy was scaring her a bit.

"Don't you get it? Death can solve nothing! It would only haunt the ones who love you forever! Not everything is about you!" The boy's lecture could have no end.

Somehow, that struck a nerve. "I know!" Yelled Orihime abruptly. Even the boy seemed surprised by her sudden outburst. He shut his mouth, and for once, Orihime could speak.

After the outburst, Orihime only had energy left for one sentence. "Just now... I wasn't going to jump."

Both of their faces turned bright red afterwards. Somehow, after so much time did they begin to realize that they were practically lying on top of each other. It would be an understatement to say that the atmosphere was excruciatingly embarrassing.

"You should have said so!" The boy's scowl loosened momentarily in surprise. But then it was back in full force in no time. With that, he took off.

_Image_. Orihime noted. Somehow, the boy intrigued her. _I'm going to find out more about him_. She thought. _Why was he so caught up with a stranger appearing to commit suicide?_

* * *

_=Babiip  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

"Huh? An orange-haired student?" Orihime's friend, Ryo Kunieda squeaked at Orihime's inquiry.

"Yes..." Orihime timidly responded.

"Oh, you must mean Kurosaki Ichigo!" Another student, Michiru Ogawa, chirped in.

"And speak of the devil..." Yet another student with red hair and thick-rimmed glasses, known as Chizuru Honsho, the class lesbian, chirped in. She pointed at a student with orange hair in the basketball court. "Is that the guy you're talking about, Hime?"

"Yes..." Orihime gave the three-letter answer again.

"But he has that ugly scowl on his face all the time!" Cried Ryo.

"Not to mention he fights all the time!" Cried Michiru cried.

"Zero out of ten! No, negative zero!"Cried Ryo again.

"You aren't interested in him, are you? Seriously, Orihime, a big-breasted beauty like you can do much better." Chizuru concluded. "Someone like me is much better suited!" She cried.

Face burning, Orihime denied all accusations. "No, I'm not interested in him!" She cried. "I'm just curious, that's all." She absentmindedly brushed her hair with one hand, and gazed at the boy. _He doesn't seem like a bad person..._ She mused. _A bad person wouldn't have told me that. _

As she stared at the boy, she found her mind going blank.

Somehow, she was mesmerized.

"Long red hair with a large chest... in our year?" A black haired short boy murmured. "Definitely not one of my conquests... Oh, you must be talking about Inoue Orihime!" The boy called Mizuiro cried.

"Another one of your conquests?" Ichigo murmured, trying to sound bored.

"No, no... I only go after older women, don't you remember?" Mumbled Mizuiro, as he started texting on his cell phone.

"I see..." Ichigo answered, sinking back into his thoughts. He looked up to the classrooms, managing to catch sight of the auburn beauty with her elbows plopped on the windowsill. He couldn't help but think back to what happened that morning. When he had seen the girl... He thought she was going to jump.

"You like her? Don't even think about it! She's way outta your league! " Cried a hyperactive redhead known as Keigo. "I am much better for her!"

Ichigo didn't even bother reacting. He just ignored keigo, and continued to gaze at the girl.

Somehow, he was enchanted.


	3. Chapter 3

To this day, I sincerely don't remember how I came up with the clinic canteen thing. But it did kinda make sense in the _Bleach_ world, no?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

Inoue Orihime wandered around Karakura Town, as she looked for a place to eat in. She just didn't feel like going to the groceries when she saw her fridge that day.

While she walked, she pondered on what her friends had said about the boy who had "saved" her. He certainly hadn't seemed like such a person who would fight and hurt others on purpose. _If he was such a person, why would he want to save me?_ That was her reason.

While looking around, she caught sight of a board just outside a clinic.

Kurosaki clinic

Canteen

Free Wasabi and red bean paste.

She walked in without another thought.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo stared at the door, waiting for a customer to come in. "That crazy old man." He grumbled. "I told him the free wasabi and red bean paste would drive away customers."

As if to contradict his statement, a customer walked in right that instant.

It was that girl from that morning - the girl whom he had attempted to save. He found his heart speeding up at the sight of her, and his cheeks were growing hot. To his great relief, there was no "Hey! You're that guy who thought I was going to jump off the roof!"

She just stood there.

Their gazes met each other, and somehow, they found themselves looking into each other's eyes.

_His eyes are brown._ She noted.

_Her eyes are grey._ He realized.

Despite the scowl, Orihime discovered softness in those eyes.

Disregarding the smile she wore on her face, Ichigo found loneliness in those eyes.

Maybe after a minute, maybe after an hour, they broke the eye contact, and Orihime said, "I would like the fried rice please."

It took a while for Ichigo to react, "Coming right up." He ran to the kitchen afterwards.

Within moments, Ichigo was back with the rice. Only that he brought two plates of rice.

"Umm... Who's the other dish for?" Asked Orihime timidly.

"Oh, that's my dinner." Answered Ichigo. He sat down with a plop.

They proceeded with dinner silently. Orihime eyed the wasabi and red bean paste on the counter time and again, but she was too nervous to ask Ichigo for them.

Suddenly, Ichigo stood up, and walked away, without finishing his dinner. _Was I too boring...?_ Orihime thought, silently admonishing herself for not making small-talk.

In a minute, Ichigo was back, Wasabi and red bean paste in hand. He handed them to Orihime, and said, "You wanted them, right. The poster wasn't a lie." He said indifferently. He acted cool. Noticing her shock, he added, "Go on, eat. I won't mind if you have weird eating habits."

What he didn't expect was her reaction. She stared at the food, dumbstruck, and then took a spoonful with 80% Wasabi and red bean paste. She gulped and then smiled with a blushing face.

"Thank you." Her heart was struck by that one gesture, that one sentence. _Kurosaki-kun is so nice._ She thought merrily.

The smile was not awkward, or forced, or out of courtesy. It was a heartfelt, radiant, unrestrained smile which conveyed her gratitude and happiness.

Ichigo's scowl loosened. "You're welcome." He muttered. His heart skipped a beat, and all surroundings faded into nonexistence as she smiled. "So, what do you think of our food?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

"It's getting late. You want me to walk you home?" Asked Ichigo, as Orihime paid the bill, and prepared to leave.

"Oh, there's no need! I'm perfectly fine! Don't worry!" Orihime put on a wide smile, and answered.

"Okay then." Ichigo answered indifferently. During the time while he took the dishes back into the kitchen, he put the scowl back on his face. He could act cold again.

"Goodbye, Kurosaki-kun." Said Orihime, as she set off for her home.

Somehow, watching her small, frail frame walk in the dark, wide streets alone made Ichigo's heart fall.

As Orihime walked home, what had just happened flashed into her mind. Somehow, she felt lonely. _Oh My God..._ As she turned a corner, suddenly, she realized something, and her track halted in horror. _Oh my God..._ She thought in terrified realization. _I have been struck by..._

"Gloom!" Orihime yelled, as she pointed her finger towards the sky superhero-fashion. Then, she started pep-talking to herself, "Inoue Orihime! Don't get defeated by gloom! You have been living by yourself for two years now! You can definitely stand anything!"

"Ah! I feel much better now!" Cried Orihime. "Back to home!" She semi-yelled, as she set foot once more.

Before she could even take a step, however, a voice came from behind her, asking, "Need a lift, Inoue?"

Orihime recognized the voice, it was... "Kurosaki-kun!" She cried, and began speaking again, "But, but..."

"Yeah, I had to go shopping for the crazy old man. Seems like we're short on radishes and lotus seeds. For the patients' meals, you know?" Kurosaki Ichigo was sitting on a blue bicycle, speech rushed.

"So, are you getting on or not?" He asked again.

"Okay."Orihime found herself getting on the bicycle.

As Ichigo began pedalling, and turned at the right corners according to Orihime's directions, he suddenly asked, "Hey, Inoue, so you live alone?"

"Yeah, I do." Orihime answered. _So he heard that just now._ Inoue prepared herself for a round of endless questioning.

In contrast to what she expected, he only muttered one sentence, "Don't forget to lock your doors and windows when you go to sleep tonight."

"Okay. Thank you." Orihime's eyes did not have anything to avert, but she still looked to the side.

Then she yelled, "Oh! We're supposed to take a right turn just now! There!"

And the rest of the ride proceeded silently. However, the atmosphere was strangely cozy.

"So, we're here." Stated Ichigo plainly, as Orihime got off his bike. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked casually.

"Okay! See you tomorrow, Kurosaki-kun!" She cried merrily, as she stepped into her house. Before she locked the door, the image of Kurosaki Ichigo entered her eyes through the decreasing space between her door and the doorframe.

The image struck Inoue Orihime deeply. Although he's scowling, she could see gentleness in those eyes. And deep, deep inside the hazel coloured pools, something was struggling, with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

As she stared, Ichigo said impatiently, "What are you waiting for? Close the door." Again, despite the roughness in the sentence itself, she could sense gentleness in there.

"Good night, Kurosaki-kun." She said, as she closed the door.

_I will stay by him._ For some reason, she found herself deciding.

* * *

As Kurosaki Ichigo rode his bike home, he pondered on many things. "So she lives alone, huh..." He muttered, as he continued on his journey home.

Before he had consciously discovered it, he had already got on his bike, and was chasing after the girl. He had to, for some reason, take her home.

_If she han't said it, I wouldn't have guessed…_ Ichigo thought. As a matter of fact, the girl smiles so much, and was so cheery that no one could have associated the word "gloom" with her.

_Oh well. Pointless to think too much. _He threw away all other thoughts, as he concentrated on one thing, and one thing only: _I will stay by her._ For some reason, he found himself vowing.

* * *

Note: The phrase "stay by him/her" is not the same phrase as that used in the title. Just saying. :P


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

In one of the many classrooms of Karakura High, Kurosaki Ichigo of class 1-7 was not thinking about anything school-related. The second meeting with the girl created a lot of questions in his head.

_Why does she live alone? _

_Does she have any relatives?_

The facts about the weird girl just confounded him. On the outside, she seemed to be a happy-go-lucky, carefree happy girl who was impossible to relate to the word "gloom". However, after the small glimpse into her inner world the day before, when she thought she was alone, Ichigo couldn't help but suspect whether she really wasn't going to kill herself. The way she had said those stuff... It was as if she could give up her life anytime...

Again, he vowed, _I'll just stay by her, keep her company, get to know her more, and tell her she should value her life. _

Suddenly, another question popped up,

Is she going to come back tonight?

This question held Ichigo's mind in a blank state for a moment. Then, an answer came.

_Why am I asking this anyway? Even if she doesn't like me, I will stick to her like a piece of gum on a shoe! That's it!- If she doesn't come by 7 tonight, I'll just pick her up myself. I won't allow her to be alone. _

Before his thoughts could go any deeper, his teacher yelled, "Kurosaki! Read! From the textbook! The textbook of English which is lying on your desk! Lines 19 to 25! Starting from the word "Sea serpent"! S-E-A S-E-R-P-E-N-T!"

And there ended his train of thought, as he stood up, and read the cursed part of the textbook.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the chemistry laboratory, Inoue Orihime was not concentrating on her experiment either. She was also pondering what to do in the evening. The orange-haired boy had seemed scray and violent according to the school rumours, but she could see nothing of the sort as of yet.

_Why do people say those things about him? _

_How does he think about them? _

Somehow, the boy got her worrying. It's impossible that he feels nothing. He must be so tired... Helping out at the family clinic, being held against by everybody at school... She could sense something in his eyes. Inside those amber orbs which housed a gentle flame, when he had thought she couldn't see him... She could see that he was alone.

_I will stay by him. I can keep him company while learning more about him, so that I can tell people what kind of person he really is. _

In a split second, something else surfaced.

_Would I be a bother to him if I go tonight? _

She instantly retorted, _That would not matter! I have decided I will stay by him! Even if I am not wanted there, I will make myself wanted! I will not be a bother if I don't let myself to become one! If I have to be shameless to stay by him, I will become shameless! I won't let him be all by himself!_

At the ringing of the school bell, Inoue Orihime snapped away from her thoughts, and cleared up the apparatus.

* * *

At 8:00 pm, Inoue Orihime stood at her doorstep, somehow not wanting to take another step. She searched her mind, but not even one rational solution presented itself.

After wasting a whole ten minutes by walking a few steps then stopping, she scolded herself, _What am I doing! There's nothing I have to be scared about! No matter what, I have to give Kurosaki-kun company! Just go, my feet! Going away, you little yellow men!_

After that particular thought, she felt a rush of sparkly current flowing through her veins, and somehow, she could walk properly again. _I have to hurry! I'm late!_ She thought

Kurosaki Ichigo looked at his watch. 20:00. _Just what the hell's going on? She was here at 7 yesterday! What has happened to her!_ For some strange reason, he found himself worrying at his doorstep, taking anxious glances towards the left and right.

After ten minutes of endless waiting, Ichigo snapped, _Just why the hell am I waiting? What am I afraid of? I'll just go grab her! Forceful or not, I will stay by her!_

And there went Kurosaki Ichigo.

Maybe as some sort of weird cosmic joke, their paths crossed each other's.

The first thing Kurosaki Ichigo said was "Inoue! What's taking you so long! Let's go!" He grabbed hold of her arm, and strode forward.

With a squeal, Inoue Orihime tried to keep up with him. _He came to look for me._ A pause. _Guess I don't have to be a shameless stalker now._ Thought Orihime.

Despite the roughness of his action, the hand which held her was gentle, and he kept a reasonable pace, while staying at a comfortable distance.

"So, how was your day?" Asked Orihime cheerfully, as she smiled at Ichigo. _Well, if she is actually coming... I guess I didn't have to fetch her myself. _

"So-so. How's yours?" Replied Ichigo.

And they continued their journey to the whacky restaurant of his family's clinic.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

"But you gave me a twenty percent off! I should help do the dishes at least!" Exclaimed Inoue Orihime in exasperation, as she offered for the twelfth time.

"I told you, that discount was for anyone who came in consecutive days! Anybody would have had it!" Rufused Kurosaki Ichigo for the twelfth time, frown evident on his face. Orihime couldn't argue, despite the fact that there was no sign of such promotion work.

"And there're nearly no dishes here anyway. There's just the two of us eating here!" Added Ichigo.

"But, but-" Aggravated, Orihime took a different approach. "You know what? I'll help you wipe them dry."

And that's exactly what she did. She took a towel off the racks, picked up a plate, and began wiping it dry.

Ichigo couldn't find a retort. So he let her dry them.

As he would for many more times in the future.

* * *

Putting the last plate into the cupboard, Inoue Orihime chanted, 'And that's it!" She took a look at the clock on the wall. "Oh, It's pretty late already! I'd better go home." She said.

"I'll give you a ride." Stated Ichigo, as he strode in front of Orihime.

And then, just as the night before, Inoue Orihime rode on the bike with Kurosaki Ichigo. She looked around at the surroundings, commenting, "Look! Kurosaki-kun! There's cute doggy there! Look, Kurosaki-kun, look!"

"I kinda have to keep an eye on the road." Came Ichigo's stony response.

"Kurosaki-kun, then can we just stop for a moment? Pleaaaaaaase~" Orihime pleaded. "It's a really cute doggy!"

Ichigo didn't answer. He just halted. Orihime immediately sprinted to the aforementioned canine, and Kurosaki Ichigo walked after Inoue Orihime casually, bike in tow.

As he walked near, he saw quite an interesting site. Inoue Orihime was squatting on the road, staring at the dog and saying, "Oh, it's so cute!" She began making googoo noises, and made weird hand gestures around the dog.

The dog and its owner were thoroughly confused by the whacky girl, as they just stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the girl.

Ichigo took one step forward, reaching out his hand, wanting to stop Orihime. But then, as he took a look at Orihime's excited face, he withdrew his hand.

_It's not like she's doing anyone any harm._ He thought. He just smiled, and watched her unintentionally terrorize the surprised canine and its master.

When the owner finally did snap out of his trance and found the sense to say, "We have to go now," Inoue Orihime was happily waving goodbye to the dog, "Bye, doggie! Make sure you eat your dinner!" She then turned, and sat with the waiting Ichigo on his bike.

"So, isn't he cute, Kurosaki-kun?" Asked Orihime, as they set off once again for her house.

"He looks like a mop." Said Ichigo, not interested in anything cute.

Then, silence came from Orihime. _Crap, did I hurt her?_ He thought.

Kurosaki Ichigo tried to blurt out an apology, but before he could say anything, he was cut off by the loud cry of realization from Orihime. "Wow, you're right!"

Surely, his ears must be deceiving him. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

However, as if in the form of a violent spirit of reality, Inoue Orihime mouth began shooting out words at a million per minute, "Oh, I can see it now! His shaggy hair was dragging on the floor! And with it all growing from the same small spot, of course! Of course he looked like a mop! I think I'll call him 'moppy' from now on! Oooooh and the…" On and on her drivel went.

Annoying as it may seem, Kurosaki Ichigo was not in the least bit annoyed. Sure, he wasn't listening attentively to every single word, but he let the words flow to his brain casually, chuckling at any interesting bits. As he listened, his scowl gently melted away, not into a smile, but at least into a relaxed sort-of poker face.

And they rode and rode, until they had reached their destination.

* * *

"So, see you tomorrow?" Asked Kurosaki Ichigo coolly, rubbing the back of his neck, as they stopped in front of her house.

"I'll definitely wash the dishes tomorrow." Came Inoue Orihime's cheeky response.

"We'll see about that." Ichigo replied.

"Good night, Kurosaki-kun" Said Orihime, as she walked up her front porch.

"Sweet dreams, Inoue." Said Ichigo, somehow pulling his face into a smile, keeping an eye on her as she walked through her door.

Somehow, both felt an unfamiliar warmth spreading in their insides.

Once they were away from each other's sight, they vowed again on their previous decisions:

_I will stay by her._ Vowed Ichigo.

_I will stay by him._ Vowed Orihime.

And thus ended the second meal between the two of them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

The student looked behind herself. He's still there. The student thought in panic.

The student had heard rumours of him before. Of him who was in class 1-7. Rumour had it that he unified all the teen gangs of Karakura Town, beating up mercilessly whomever unfortunate enough to get in his way.

"Hey, you heard? He sent another guy to hospital yesterday." A gossiping voice could be heard.

"Uggh. I just hate him. He's rude, violent, and I mean, just look at that orange hair! It's so ugly!" Another voice appeared, muttering its opinion in disgust.

_Just what's he doing, following me around like that?_ She thought in fear and annoyance. _Did I do something yesterday that had offended him?_

The sight of her classroom in front of her was like the way to heaven, an escape from the suspense and fear. As she sighed in relief, however, a hand shot out, and prevented her from opening the classroom door.

"Hey, you're in the same class as Inoue, right?" A gruff voice sounded behind her.

Without turning, she knew who the voice belonged to. It was Kurosaki Ichigo – the fearsome yankee king in Karakura High. "Yes… I am in the same class as Inoue Orihime. If that's who you're talking about." She gathered her courage to add the last comment, trying to mask her surprise. _Just what does he want with Inoue-san?_

"Well, I want to ask… Why does she live alone?" Kurosaki Ichigo asked. "And does she have relatives?" "And has she ever talked about stuff like suicide?" _Friends of hers should know more about these stuff than me. _

What…? The student's brain had been paralyzed by Ichigo's bombardment of questions. She had expected him to ask about her measurements. Or her cell phone number. Or even where she lived. Even the manner he had asked about her was unexpected, with the cute stuttering. However, she quickly regained her senses.

And so she answered, "Kurosaki Ichigo, I do not know what you are up to. From what I know, those stuff you have said just now make completely no sense, and if this is some sort of mind-trick, it's failing badly, and I suggest you go back to mindless violence. Good day." Somehow, a burst of anger allowed her to speak these words. She turned, and slammed the door.

She silently congratulated himself on a job well done.

Kurosaki Ichigo was left standing annoyed at the door. He was about to go in, but a melodic yell of "Good morning" from inside the classroom made him halt in his steps. _Inoue's in there._ He thought. Better not let her know about this… He decided. And so he left.

"Kurosaki Ichigo?" The student answered, as she heard the undesirable name fall through her friend's lips.

"Yeah." Inoue orihime answered, she being the one who started the topic. "I just wanted to know, what actually did he do? I never did get anything, other than that he's totally unapproachable and dangerous."

"And you've got good informants. Well actually, I never did see anything myself, but I heard he unified all the teenage gangs in Karakura Town."

"There are teenage gangs in Karakura?" Having never heard of them, Orihime was shocked.

"Not after he's become the head. Rumour has it that, he found them too troublesome, so he disbanded the whole thing and prohibited anyone from starting any more gangs." The students answered. "And then they also say he's totally violent, and whoever crosses his way will never leave without at least a broken bone or two."

"Has anyone actually seen him fight?" Orihime asked. _Kurosaki-kun doesn't look like the type who'll fight for no reason. _

"I haven't, but they say he's fighting every day, something like a wimp into the hospital a day keeps the doctor away thing." By the student's matter-of-factly tone, you'd have guessed she had been witnessing him fight on a daily basis. "But look at his orange hair! Orange! And have you seen the foul scowl! Who would doubt anything?"

"I see. Thank you." Seeing another student enter the classroom, Inoue Orihime was about to ask her about Kurosaki Ichigo, but then, she saw a flash of orange at her classroom door.

_Was that Kurosaki-kun? Better not ask her now… Kurosaki-kun'd better not know about this._ Orihime formed this thought. And so she went back to her seat.

* * *

That evening , it was awfully quiet at their dinner table. Orihime didn't speak, and without her bringing in topics, Ichigo didn't talk either. Both were a bit guilty of not telling the other about the asking-around that morning.

Even if it was abnormally quiet, somehow, it did not make them uncomfortable. Instead, they took a good look at the other.

I wonder if she does think life is pointless? Thought Ichigo. Her serenity surely contradicts that.

I wonder if he really is lonely? Thought Orihime. His cute scowl doesn't let past much.

Their ponderings slowly gave way to other thoughts,

_The way she eats make that mess seem really delicious._ Noted Ichigo.

_The way he eats with a scowl makes me worry if he's suffering from food poisoning._ Commented Orihime.

And they continued their meal in silence.

* * *

After Orihime once again failing to get to do the dishes, and Ichigo once again having to relent to letting her dry them, Kurosaki Ichigo took Inoue Orihime home on his bike.

Their evening had been abnormally quiet up till this point.

Breaking the silence, Ichigo asked casually, "You're awfully quiet today. What happened?"

"Oh? Quiet? Me? What are you talking about?" Came the high-pitched squeaky reply of Orihime. "Say, Kurosaki-kun, did you eat plums sometime today?"

Wondering why his after-lunch snack popped up in their conversation, Ichigo answered, "Yeah, I ate one after lunch today."

"Ooh, Kurosaki-kun, do you know that plums are rich in Vitamin C? That plus the purple pigment in their skin make them the favourite food of the little green goblins! They like to freeze them, and mash them and then add honey and grapefruit juice. Well personally I prefer wasabi, but…" Orihime rambled again.

Pondering why his after-lunch snack became such a topic of interest, Ichigo drove on. Not that he didn't find Orihime's "The Plum Princess and the Green Goblin Prince" fairytale interesting.

Ichigo's bike came screeching to a halt as he almost went past Orhime's home. "We're here." He announced.

"Ooh, thank you, Kurosaki-kun!" She beamed, then turned to her doorstep.

As Orihime walked through the door, Ichigo called after her, "Hey, Inoue, why are you so obsessed with plums today?"

Turning back to face Ichigo, Orihime answered, with a semi-embarrassed smile, "You have plum peel between you teeth." She pointed at her front teeth.

Ichigo could literally feel his face go scarlet. "You should have told me that." Grumbled Ichigo.

"Sorry, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime smiled, and said. _I'm also sorry I can't let you know I think you're lonely. _

"Sorry too, Inoue. I should've got that myself." Ichigo's scowl deepened. _I'm sorry I can't let you know I trying to stop you from committing suicide._

"Good night, Kurosaki-kun." Said Orihime.

"Good night, Inoue." Answered Ichigo.

_Even if I'm sorry I can't let her know my purpose, I will stay by her, and make her don't want to kill herself._ Vowed Ichigo.

_Even if I'm sorry I ccan't let him know my intentions, I will keep him company, and try to make him less lonely._ Vowed Orihime.

And so endeth this day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

It had been snowing that evening.

"No, no. I won't let you help with the dishes this time." Kurosaki Ichigo sternly said.

Inoue Orihime gave out a semi-sigh. He hasn't brought this up for a while. Why now? She didn't react. She stood there, and looked Ichigo straight in her eye.

_I'm still going to help._ Her eyes conveyed this message, Ichigo noticed.

After a few minutes of trying to stare down the other, Ichigo let out a sigh of frustration. "Fine. But put these on." He picked something out from inside one of the drawers.

Orihime's eyes moved to look at the object. He was holding a pair of plastic gloves. She eyes dilated in shock, but then, she understood why Ichigo was so stubborn that day.

"Only if you put them on too." Orihime replied, cheekily smiling. _He thought of the cold water._ She realized.

Trust the Kurosaki Clinic to cut costs via cutting down hot water use during winter.

"What a pain." Ichigo mumbled. _So she found out._ Embarrassment was evident in him trying to avert her eyes, and not even his scowl can cover it up. Somehow, he was happy though.

Thus, with rainbow-coloured plastic gloves on, they washed the dishes.

* * *

When they were finished with the dishes, they walked out with the bike, ready for a ride home. Their faces fell at what was waiting for them outside.

The snow accumulated to a height of over one feet. There was no way the bike could go through.

"Guess there won't be a bike ride for today." Murmured Ichigo, as he pushed his bike back inside.

Orihime began to walk back home by herself.

Somehow, there was this heavy, hollow feeling. "Why would I feel sad or lonely?" She asked herself. "This wouldn't be the first time I walk home on my own."

Before she could answer, a rough voice sounded from behind her. "You didn't think I was going to let you walk home by yourself, did you?"

She turned, and there he was, Kurosaki Ichigo was standing there in a long, brown coat which softly contrasted with his orange hair. His scowl was apparent as ever.

"But… But it's so cold today! I don't want to bother you!" Orihime cried. Inside though, she found herself unexplainably happy. _Why am I happy that he wants to walk me home? It's bother to him! _Her rational thought asked.

"No buts. I'm coming with you." Ichigo answered shortly. Somehow, he was annoyed. _Why would I be pissed off she doesn't want me to go with her? She has her freedom of thought!_ His mind reasoned.

The clueless couple walked down the streets, silent.

"Let's make a water lily out of this snow!" Suddenly, Orihime suggested. _I'd better break this ice._ The snow was about half a foot deep, and was still falling endlessly from the sky.

Ichigo halted from the shock and confusion. _Did I just hear that right…?_ He asked himself. In his mind, it was hard to put "snow" and "water lily" in one sentence, not to mention putting them together.

Orihime proceeded to scoot up snow from around the street. "Kurosaki-kun! Will you join me in making a snow water lily?" She asked, now having quite a large amount of snow piled up at her feel. She took off her gloves.

"Nah, I'll pass." Ichigo mumbled back, having clearly heard this the second time around. His scowl deepened as he stared at the snow. "It looks kinda cold." He noted.

"But that's the point in making it! Well if you're not helping me, I'll make one myself!" Orihime declared.

He watched as Orihime mumbling about the appropriate amount of snow for different parts, then splitting the snow into two portions. He rested against the wall, watching her carrying out other ministrations on the snow.

After a while, Ichigo noticed Orihime seemed to be having quite a bit of trouble with something. Apparently, he noted, one particular petal kept breaking apart. Clearly frustrated, Orihime took off her gloves, and proceeded to reform the petal.

Soon, to Ichigo's utter horror, he could see Orihime's hand redden and swelling up. Instantly, he strode to her side, squatted down, pulled Orihime's gloves back on, put his coat on her, and said roughly, "I'll do this."

"But, but you'll be cold, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime cried in terror.

"No buts. The sooner I finish this, the sooner we can get going." Ichigo's brows were kept tighter in concentration.

Before long, Orihime was staring at a perfectly-formed water lily of snow. "You keep your gloves on." Warned Ichigo, as she extended her hand to touch the water lily.

Somehow, despite her slightly aching hands, Orihime felt strangely warm.

Orihime asked abruptly, breaking the warm silence. "Hey, Kurosaki-kun, do you know what the meaning of a white lily is?"

"No." Came Ichigo's short, firm, definite response.

"It's 'persuasion'. Pretty ironic, isn't it? Since I practically made you help me." A bitter remark came from Orihime. _I can't believe I actually forgot about Kurosaki-kun's thoughts._

Ichigo muttered, "But I'm the bastard who refused to help you at first, aren't I? _She thinks I think she's troublesome. I should have seen that coming. _

"Nee, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime started again, "Don't you find me troublesome and loud and annoying? I mean, I'm not a typical lady."

There was a lack of response from Kurosaki Ichigo. After a minute of silence, Ichigo answered, " I'm not a perfect gentleman either." _More like harsh and disgusting._

"You know what?" Orihime asked out of the blue. "I think we'd better share the coat."

Before Ichigo could ask what she had meant, she had spread the coat over the two of them.

"Idiot. It'll fall off. I'm not cold, anyway." Ichigo mumbled, a bit shocked by the sudden contact.

Wordlessly, Orihime slipped closer to Ichigo, and held him from the side. "It won't come off now, will it?" She stated.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." Said Orihime softly, it was not the usual loud, happy notes of thanks she made, but a gentle, delicate one.

Orihime leaned onto Ichigo, hugging him. The hug was not casual, not ceremonial, not out of courtesy. It was like what one would give to a teddy bear, for warmth, security, and companionship.

"Thank you to you too, Inoue." Said Ichigo gently. On the receptive end of a hug, a wave of warmth washed over him, as he was held from behind by this eccentric and peculiar girl. In the dark, just perhaps, maybe a smile had appeared on Ichigo's frozen face.

Perhaps, just a bit, Kurosaki Ichigo put his arms around Inoue Orihime.

They wished the moment would never end.

Both wondered why they thought this way, though.

* * *

"Good night, Kurosaki-kun." At her front step, Orihime looked back, and said.

"Good night, Inoue." Putting his coat back on, Ichigo answered.

Neither made another move. Maybe the both of them was waiting for the other for the first movement, but they stood transfixed, looking at the other. Both didn't want this warmth to disappear.

But time moves on, "You'd better get back inside, or you'll catch a cold." Ichigo warned her. She smiled sadly, and closed the door.

Ichigo turned, and walked away. His heart felt a bit heavy. It was loneliness, he recognized the feeling. _Why would I feel this?_ He asked himself. At the turn of the road, he turned back to have one more look at Orihime's house.

Orihime was staring out from a window. Her house was empty, and she looked out into the empty streets, and the walking form of Kurosaki Ichigo. _Why do I feel lonely now? _She wondered.

She saw him look back, and she waved.

He saw her wave, and waved back.

"Sweet dreams, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime whispered at her window.

"Sleep tight, Inoue." Ichigo said at the turn of the road.

Although neither could hear what the other had said, somehow…

The warm, tingly sensation they had felt earlier had returned.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own __Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

_Same old, same old._ Thought Kurosaki Ichigo, as he flung his leg to the left, repelling an incoming assault.

He looked at the thin form running away from the fight. _Damn Keigo. Always biting off more than he could chew, making me clean up his messes. _

He blocked a punch, then sent one back with the other hand. _If I finish this quickly, I may arrive on time. _He reckoned.

"Oh well," He spat, as he cracked his knuckles. "Who wants to go first?"

With no hesitation, no mercy, and no considerations, except for the opponents' lives, Kurosaki Ichigo took them all down.

Then, he swung his schoolbag onto his back, and walked away. As he walked into the school, students cast him look of distain and contempt, some of total disgust.

He paid them no attention.

_Same old, same old._ He murmured in his mind.

As if he would care what other people think of him fighting, right?

* * *

The rest of the day went by relatively uneventfully, remarked Ichigo, as he thought back. There he was, after washing the dishes with Orihime, walking home with her again. Again, the snow was too thick for the bike to trek on.

He heard Orihime blabbering once again, breaking the silence of the night. "… And then, the little blue men would finally be able to work with the little green men! They know the green one's got the brains, and so…"

As she continued on the dangers in the case where the little coloured man chanced upon a common language, Ichigo walked ahead.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind them, "Hey, beauty, bet ya hadn't even had your first kiss with this loser. How' bout you ditch him and join us?"

Ichigo turned. His scowl deepened tenfold at the sight in front of him. Five punks, all thoroughly drunk with vibrant hair colours, were edging towards a terrified Orihime.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Ichigo yelled, immediately moving to stand in front of Orihime, shielding her.

"Get outta the way, carrot!" One of the punks yelled. He sent a punch straight at Ichigo.

Ichigo held the punk's fist with his hand, and prepared to strike back. But then, from the corner of his vision, he saw something reflecting in the corner mirror, holding him transfixed.

Eye wide, mouth ajar, fear made itself clear on Orihime's face. The fear was natural, Ichigo assumed, but the disgust – that's what held him frozen.

Subtly, from the slightly downturned lip corners, the minimally scrunched nose, the brows that were held in place, to the pressing fingernails on her thumb – her disgust of the violence made itself known in the most discreet of ways.

Ichigo's body may be still, but his mind wasn't. Triggered by the sight of Orihime's face, a dark chill went down his spine, and his brain went into overdrive.

_If I fight, she will see the true me – the violent, shady side._

_She'll hate me and be afraid of me, just like everybody else. _

_If she knows this side of me, I can't stay by her side anymore. _

_I want to stay with her._

Before he had time to react to this thought, the punks didn't remain stationary for long. "Ya retarded? Well, we aren't!" In came another punch.

"Inoue, get down." Ichigo commanded. Without waiting for a response, he crouched, enveloping Orihime and forcing her down as well.

A kick.

A punch.

A blow undistinguishable whether it was a punch or a kick.

Holding Orihime down, Ichigo acted as the barrier separating the punks from her, while taking the full force of every strike, but his mind wasn't present. His consciousness was focused somewhere deep inside, on the dark chill along his spine.

"Playin hero, huh? Let's see how long you can 'protect' her now, shall we?" A voice screeched, mocking. A pause followed, as if the attacker was rearing backwards, then a particularly strong kick followed.

"Kurosaki-kun, don't get hurt because of me!" Orihime cried. Ichigo paid that no mind. The pain had gotten so familiar that Ichigo's mind wasn't particularly bothered.

Knee jab. Kick. Strong kick. _Was that a thrown can just now?_

"Protecting me or not…" Orihime murmured, having received no reply. "I don't care. I just don't want to see Kurosaki-kun being hurt."

_Out of context._ A voice sounded dimly in the distances of Ichigo's mind.

"I will stay by Kurosaki-kun." Ichigo heard Orihime 's eyes captured Ichigo's and for a moment there, Ichigo saw through the fear, the uncertainty, and found something deep, deep within those grey eyes.

_Perhaps, perhaps,… If it's her…_

"Fight." Orihime whispered softly.

Taking a leap of faith, Ichigo stood, and whipped around with a roundhouse kick, sending the unprepared punks off their balance. He met every punch with a punch, every kick with a kick.

And just like that, he chased them away.

Looking at the punks' retreated figures, Ichigo took his time in looking at Orihime's face. He knew it would be okay to see it, but he was afraid of what he might see. The 180-degree turn seemed to have taken him years. But he kept his eyes open, opting to have faith in the girl.

As soon as the fear came, it retracted, as he had already gained sight of its origin.

On Orihime's face was terror. Pure, undiluted terror.

Of him. Of the being she had just sworn to stay by.

_I knew it_. His mind sounded.

The fear was removed by a smack of stone-hard reality. Numbness plagued over him. With the cold and hard smack of reality came a red hot fire, and a freezing slash in his heart. Both of which were unreasonable, he bitterly admitted._ I should have known._ He thought. And indeed, he had seen it coming. Why else would he have chosen not to fight before?

"Bye." He coldly threw down, as he walked back towards home. From this. From her.

He lifted his left foot, then his right foot, body numb, brain not functioning, heart hollow.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

The street seemed infinitely long. _Maybe I really should go die after all._ He noted dryly.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Why is there a pull on his sleeve?

"You know, Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime's voice muttered.

A pause.

.

.

.

"Actually, I really haven't had my first kiss yet, you know." She admitted, leaning onto his back. He felt her forehead on his left shoulder blade.

Another pause.

.

.

.

"What?" Ichigo cried in confusion. "That's… just so, so, so, random." He announced. He tried to turn back, but Orihime moved with him, staying at his back. "I'm not exactly presentable right now." Her voice sounded mumbled through his jacket.

_Is she… embarrassed?_ Ichigo resisted the urge to smile.

"So we'll walk back to your house this way?" Ichigo asked teasingly.

"Yes." Orihime answered, tone deadpanned.

So with her face pressed into his back, they walked.

* * *

"And… We're here. You can turn around now, Inoue." Ichigo said, his back facing towards Orihime's door.

At the pitter-patter of her scurrying back into the house, Ichigo resisted the urge to laugh. Hiding behind the door as she closed it, Orihime muttered, "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun. For protecting me."

"Sweet dreams, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime added.

"Sleep tight, Inoue." Ichigo answered.

And then, she closed the door.

Walking back, Ichigo thought back to the events.

He felt awkwardly content.

And then he left.

* * *

Note: Yes. They fought on snow. I don't know how they did it, but they did. :P

=Babiip.


	10. Chapter 10

__**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

_They don't want to know what I'm thinking_, thought Orihime, as she watched her classmates decide what their class should do for the school festival.

"But I want a café shop!" Someone cried.

"No! Let's have a ghost maze!" Another voice came. "Orihime, what do you want?"

"Anything is fine by me." She smiled, then answered. After all, she didn't want to be a nuisance or another troublesome voice to be taken into consideration.

_Let them do what they want_. Orihime murmured in her mind. _I just won't give them any trouble. I will respect their decisions._

* * *

In the end, the class took so long to come to a compromise that the teacher issued an essay on "Cooperation", to be handed in the day after, which prompted Orihime to blabber about what would happen if the little coloured men could cooperate with each other.

Her unfortunate audience was Kurosaki Ichigo. Not that he was listening, as he trailed a few steps ahead of her.

"The green ones' got the brains, so… It would be dreadful!" She halted her steps in realization.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind them, "Hey, beauty, bet ya hadn't even had your first kiss with this loser. How' bout you ditch him and join us?"

Orihime was frozen stiff in horror. Five men, each with a pungent smell lingering around them, were edging unsteadily towards her.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Thankfully, Ichigo backtracked in time, shielding her from the men.

Before she could catch onto the retort, a punch was sent straight at Ichigo, stopped timely by his hand.

At the crack of Ichigo's palm catching the punch, her heart skipped a beat, and she flinched.

Despite her shock, her mind was still quite active. _Is Kurosaki-kun looking at me through the mirror? And why isn't he moving?_

Before she could come up with an answer to her questions, a command sounded, "Inoue, get down." Before she could comply, she was pushed down, and his body shielded hers.

Her heart was thumping in her chest from the sudden closeness. Despite the noise, the face looming above hers had taken her full attention.

His jaws were set. His brows were knitted together. Both of this conveyed conviction. But what is that in his eyes? Why are they bearing into hers with such desperation?

If she hadn't known better, she would have thought he's afraid.

"Playin hero, huh? Let's see how long you can 'protect' her now, shall we?" The dull thud of a foot connecting with Ichigo's back brought her back to reality. "Kurosaki-kun, don't get hurt because of me!" _I'm not worth you to get hurt._

No reaction came from Ichigo. _Why do you want to protect me?_ Orihime cried in her mind. "Protecting me or not…" Orihime murmured. "I don't care. I just don't want to see Kurosaki-kun being hurt."

Still no reaction.

_Why isn't he fighting? From how he blocked the punch earlier, it's impossible that he can't fight!_

She looked into Ichigo's eyes again. She realized, it was not pure fear. It was fear mixed with determination and desperation, as if he were grasping onto something with his dear life.

_Stay with me. Please, stay with me._ His eyes seemed to be crying out to her.

"I will stay by Kurosaki-kun." Orihime said. For added measure, she cupped his face gently in her palm, then added, "Fight."

_Is that called a roundhous kick_? Orihime asked herself, as she saw Ichigo perform some sort of sweeping kick.

Yet despite her conscious effort to keep her fear at bay with artificial curiosity, she couldn't help but flinch every time she heard the sound of impacting body parts.

As abruptly as it had started, the fighting ceased, with the drunk men being chased away by Ichigo.

He turned back to Orihime, and then immediately turned away.

Orihime could see herself in the road's corner mirrors, and she realized why.

A pair of widely opened eyes stared back at her. She looked afraid… of him, the person who had just saved her. _Guess he's sick of me now that I seem so ungrateful._

Then, he turned and started walking away. "Bye." He said.

He took a step.

_He's leaving…_ She realized.

Then a second.

_He probably doesn't want me to get near him…_

Then a third.

_But…_

She never got to that part behind the "but", as she had already walked briskly towards, Ichigo, retreating figure, and grasped his sleeve.

"You know, Kurosaki-kun…" She started. The atmosphere was suffocating. She knew she had to continue with something, anything, but nothing came to mind.

It would have been surprising to Orihime that Ichigo couldn't hear her brain whirring at the effort if not for the fact that she had no extra brain cells to spare at the moment. _What to say? What to say?_

She felt a pull on her hand by Ichigo's sleeve. _He's moving!_

"Actually, I really haven't had my first kiss yet, you know." As her overloaded mind went bank with panic, the sentence rolled out of her lips. The embarrassment seemed to come automatically though, as she instinctively pressed her face into his jacket, minimizing exposure to the world.

Three excruciating seconds passed.

"That's really random." Ichigo's reply came with an attempt to turn to face her. She turned with him so that she would stay at his back. "I'm not exactly presentable right now."

At the door, she hid behind the door and said goodbye to him.

He bid good night to her as well. And thus they parted for the night again.

.

.

.

It was like the calmness before a storm.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

After saying goodnight to Ichigo, Orihime walked up the stairs, deep in thought. She opened the door to her room, and stepped inside.

She had said that she couldn't face him because of her not being in presentable shape.

That had been true when she had just said that.

But then, when they walked, that look on his face when he had looked at her resurfaced in her mind. It had held betrayal, hurt which had appeared and diminished in that split second. But it was enough time for the expression to leave a permanent mark in her brain, to scorch itself onto her retina.

Sure, he hadn't pushed her away when she had held onto him, which to a certain extent meant that it's okay, but…

_It's not okay._ Orihime knew. _It's definitely not okay if that look is on his face. _

_I am going to talk to him tomorrow._ Orihime thought. _Because it's not alright._

Somehow, when Orihime fell asleep that night, she remembered times when Ichigo had said "It's alright" to her.

But is he really alright? Orihime's mind raised the question.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ichigo had gone back to Earth from his joyful state. A question had been raised by his mind.

_True, Inoue hadn't let me go when I was leaving, and that's great, but… Why? _Ichigo thought. _Why did she say she wanted to stay by me?_

Ichigo closed his eyes. For a second, he could still see Orihime's fear-filled, disgusted face when she had seen him fight. It was undeniable that she hated what she saw.

In short, him.

_Anyway, I wouldn't care if she had let me go. I will stay by her no matter what._ Ichigo told himself. Nosiree, he did not have to, nor did he have any desire to know the reasons behind why Orihime had asked for him to stay.

At least, that's what he told himself.

And so, with their respective thoughts, came another night.

* * *

Orhime had planned to speak to Ichigo the moment she sees him, but for some reason, when she saw him, she couldn't pry her mouth open.

The conversation had started while they were still eating. Having been totally silent since she had gone through the canteen doors, Orihime couldn't hold it in anymore, and murmured, "Kurosaki-kun, about yesterday, when the fight had ended…"

Her voice kept getting softer and softer, as she lost more and more of her original courage. However, she closed her eyes, and went on, forcing herself to go back to an audible range, "I mean…" She tried to formulate how to put her thoughts into words, then uttered, "Are you alright?"

Ichigo caught onto that, more or less. With a confused look, he answered, "What do you mean? Of course I'm alright. I'm absolutely fine."

Orihime didn't know how to carry on with her point, and so she shut her mouth for the time being.

Ichigo didn't get to ask what he had wanted to ask.

Orihime failed to get her point across.

That was the outcome of the meal.

After silently finishing the meal and washing the dishes, the both of them got onto Ichigo's bike, and rode in the melting snow.

Ichigo, after Orihime's question, felt an increasing compulsion to ask Orihime why she had stayed with him, no matter how much he had told himself he didn't care. In the end, he told himself he had to ask, even if it was just to get it out of his system. _What matters isn't me. It's her._

Orihime, on the other hand, found herself unable to speak after her initial failure. _Just how can I… How can I get the point across to him? _She thought vigorously.

Soon, they approached Orihime's house.

After this turn… Orihime suddenly realized, frantically ransacking her brain for a viable way of expression.

We take this turn, and… Ichigo thought in his brain, and as he realized it would probably get even more difficult the longer he had stalled, he asked, "Inoue. Do you hate violence?"

That was not what he had really wanted to know, but it was the closest thing he could allow to get out of his mouth. In his logic, what he had asked was: Do you hate me now? He told himself he didn't care, but his pedalling had got slower by the minute.

The whole world seemed to have slowed to a still.

And then, the answer came, "Yes, I do hate violence."

The bike went screeching to a halt. Silence ensued. For some reason, for an answer that he had previously decided not to care about, Ichigo sure was affected. A wave of nausea caught him, as a weight claimed its territory in its stomach. _What is this? _He asked himself._ Why can't I breathe?_

Other matters were being processed in Orihime's mind at that time. _Should I explain? But would that be annoying for him?_

As they stayed motionless in the middle of the lane, Orihime decided that she had to do something.

_Maybe Kurosaki-kun wouldn't really care about this, but..._ Orihime thought herself. _I don't think it's alright if I leave it at this._

"But… I don't hate Kurosaki-kun." Orihime carried on, "What I hate is the use of violence for fun, for scaring people, or for self-gain. Kurosaki-kun is not that kind of person."

Somehow, that didn't serve to lift Ichigo's spirits. His negativity persisted, and he said, so rationally and steely truthfully, approaching spitefully, "It's alright if you hate me. It's… alright."

Was he speaking to himself? Was he speaking to her?

Even if Orihime had knew his mindset, it still came as a shock to her. That line... Something snapped inside her.

"No, that's not alright!" Orihime cried indignantly. For the first time, a forceful pull came from her. He was turned around, and Orihime said, almost shouted. "It is not alright. It's not alright for me to hate Kurosaki-kun because I don't. I think… Kurosaki-kun is an amazing person."

Somehow, a spark crossed both of their minds at that instant. It was as if something awakened in their minds. Something, which had been repressed and held down for an indefinite period of time, had been roused from their slumber.

Kurosaki Ichigo found that he was happy because of her answer.

Inoue Orihime found that she had actually meant what she had just said.

The shock caused the both of them to cease going after the issue. "Let's go back." Ichigo turned, and stepped on the pedals again.

He tried long and hard to suppress a grin. Or was it a smirk?

Either way, as usual, the two of them walked to the front of Orihime's house, and as they approached the door, Ichigo said, "Sleep tight, Inoue."

Orihime said, "Sweet dreams, Kurosaki-kun."

The atmosphere was the same as always, with the same amount of tranquility, peacefulness, and warmth.

As the door was closed, each of them said their vows again,

I will stay by her. Vowed Ichigo.

I will stay by him. Sworn Orihime.

For some reason, even with identical surroundings as before, a question popped up in their minds this time around,

Why?

And they swiftly proceeded to ignore that question.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

Try as she might, Inoue Orihime could not stop thinking about a certain orange-haired boy.

She had caught her thoughts drifting over to the boy all night long, away from her Physics homework, from her TV drama series, even from her own thoughts of the little polka-dotted men.

She had been replaying the events of the night over and over in her mind.

And every single time, to her utmost horror, she would re-discover that she had been angry with Kurosaki Ichigo, and had lashed out at him.

_I've done it_. Orihime thought. _I've gone and forced my thoughts on him._

She had decided a long, long time ago, that she would keep her thoughts to herself. She repeated to herself her motto for so many years:

_No one wants to know what you really think. Keep your trash to yourself. Telling others of your thoughts only troubles them. _

Before she could continue chanting, however, a stray thought found its way into her brain.

_Did I really say that I think he's an amazing person?_

Suddenly, her mind went blank. Every thought that had previously occupied her brain went flying out the window, replaced by a strong compulsion to swear.

_Oh my God, I didn't, did I?_

As if just to annoy her, the answer came, _Oh yes you did._ And then, out of control, thoughts Kurosaki Ichigo started invading her brain.

How his brows would look when his scowl slacks without himself noticing.

How his eye will become clouded one moment, and then clear as water in the next.

How his wide, hard back felt against her hands.

And the time when she couldn't help noticing just how safe she had felt when he was around her, even with the thugs around them.

And how his eyes reminded her of mocha mixed with wasabi and mustard, the warmth and the contentment that it brings. It made her want to stay by him forever.

_But that's not the reason I want to stay by him. _She told herself. _I want to stay by Kurosaki-kun because I want to make sure he's not lonely, and then make everyone notice how he actually is. _

* * *

So I'm an amazing person, eh? Kurosaki Ichigo smirked to himself, as he replayed Orihime's little outburst in his mind again.

From her strong tone, her shaking of her little body, and the fire in her eyes, Ichigo could read that she had meant what she had said.

_Why had she said that? Did she really mean it? Why was she angry?_ Her outburst had caused a stream of questions to surge from the bottom of his mind, overwhelming him so he couldn't make a single response.

Even now, lying on his bed, only one thought was clear to him: _She thinks I'm an amazing person._ He thought dreamily.

Then, realizing what state of mind he had been in, Ichigo cleared away all the questions in his mind. _Why am I so worked up anyway? I'm only staying by Inoue to make sure that she wouldn't commit suicide._ He told himself.

* * *

The next morning, Orihime was walking up the stairs to her classroom, when she caught sight of the tall, orange-haired figure looming over another person at the top of the staircase._ Hey… Is that Kurosaki-kun over there? And who is that person he's with? _

Over the distance, Orihime couldn't make out what they were saying. As she prepared to greet him, Orihime suddenly caught a part of their speech, "…Inoue Orihime…"

At the mention of her name, Orihime's instinctively went back down the stairs, hiding and eavesdropping from below.

The girl Kurosaki-kun was talking with was obviously unhappy to be talking to him. She kept shaking her head and was tapping her feet impatiently on the ground. Slowly, Orihime edged towards them, taking one step at a time. She could hear more and more now.

Suddenly, the girl ran away, and Ichigo kicked the trash can just next to him.

"Damn! Just how can I stop Inoue from committing suicide when I can't even talk to anyone properly?" Ichigo grumbled under his breath, and then stormed away.

Orihime, stunned by what she had just heard, was rooted to the spot.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a daze for Orihime. She thought about what she had overheard that morning.

She had thought that she was the one that must stay by Ichigo, but in reality, the situation had been the reverse right from the start.

_So last night wasn't the first time I've messed up in front of Kurosaki-kun._ Orihime realized at some point. _Ah, it must have been after the first time I went over there for dinner, isn't it? He must have heard me yelling "Gloom!"._

_And I've taken advantage of Kurosaki-kun's nice personality, haven't I? Having heard that, there's no doubt he would be worried about me._ Her train of thought continued.

Another voice in her mind asked, _What about that time he had protected you from the drunk men? Would he have hesitated if he was just simply worried of you? _

The look in Ichigo's eyes flashed before her eyes.

_That must have been worry. Right from the start, there has never been loneliness there, I've just imagined it. _She decided.

Failing to find a retort to that, Orihime decided to make her next meal at the Kurosaki Clinic canteen her last. _Now that I know it, I'm definitely not going to burden Kurosaki-kun anymore. _She decided.

* * *

Inoue Orihime entered the Kurosaki Clinic Canteen at exactly 8p.m., the time she had always arrived. She sat at the table she and Ichigo always shared.

Just as always, Ichigo took her order, brought it to the table along with his own dinner, and then ate together with her.

Orihime was determined to make this meal the same as any other meal they had had before. She even managed to put in some rambling about the little black men and the white gnomes.

As she rambled on, she marveled at how she had gotten used to coming to the Clinic Canteen and eating supper with Kurosaki Ichigo.

She was familiar with the way he held his spoon, like holding a pen, at the top of the handle.

She could always know just when he would brush his hand through his hair.

She recognized the way he would look into her eyes when he was talking to her, like she was the only person in the whole world.

Then, she wondered just how her hand would feel in his hands. As she stared at his hands, she started imagining how it would feel. Would it feel hot? Cold? Would his hands be rough? Smooth? Soft? Hard?

Suddenly, she heard Ichigo ask, "Inoue, are you okay?"

"Sorry, Kurosaki-kun! I'm fine!" Orihime answered. _There's no reason for him to suspect anything's different._ She stopped herself from panicking, and shoved another spoon of yellow curry rice into her mouth.

* * *

When they cleared up the table after they had finished eating, Orihime made sure to drop a spoon, as she usually did. _One more down. _Orihime thought, as she ticked off another item in her mental "normal things I do" list.

After Ichigo carried the dishes to the kitchen, they started their usual routine of him washing the dishes, and Orihime wiping them.

Orihime took a clean plate from Ichigo, wiped it dry, then put it into the drawer.

Take. Wipe. Put.

Take. Wipe. Put.

As Orihime's hands did the mundane labor automatically, she found her mind wandering to Ichigo's hands again.

This time, she wondered how it would feel if he held her hands in his.

His hands were strong, Orihime could tell this by sight. Veins and tendons flexed as he moved his manipulated the cutlery with his fingers.

But somehow, Orihime couldn't imagine his touch to be anything other than gentle. _Just like how everything is with Kurosaki-kun. He only looks scary. She thought._

Then, she started thinking of ways to "accidentally" touch Ichigo's hand while taking dishes from him.

Immediately, she reprimanded herself. _This is not good. You've caused enough trouble for him. You shouldn't bother him anymore. _

As the pile of dishes in the sink shrunk in size, and the number of dishes grew steadily, Orihime found that she was taking more and more time to dry the dishes.

And all of a sudden, it occurred to her that this was going to be the last time she washed dishes with Kurosaki Ichigo.

At the last dish, Orihime found herself staring at the plate.

And she didn't want it to be.

_This isn't time to think of what I want! I don't matter! He matters!_ She stared at the dish in concentration as she rotated it by 45 degrees, 180 degrees, and then finally, wiped the whole dish dry.

At that precise moment, Ichigo came back from closing down the canteen. "You ready?" He asked.

Then Orihime realized that it would be their last bike ride too.

* * *

After Ichigo got onto the bike, Orihime stood staring at the bike. How long has it been since their first bike ride? Six months? Five?

_If I never get onto the bike, this would never end, right?_ She kidded herself. However, she found this choice hugely attractive.

"Inoue? You need help to get on the bike?" Ichigo looked back from atop the bike, and stretched out a hand.

Now, Orihime's attention turned to the hand. She wanted to touch it, and now there's a perfect opportunity. I should take his help. It isn't any trouble to him, right? Since he offered it… Her hand slowly reached out.

_You've done it again!_ A sharp, shrill voice yelled inside her head, stopping her hand in the middle of its movement. _He's forced to help you because you're weak!_ At that, Orihime's head cleared, and she retracted her hand.

"No, I'm fine, Kurosaki-kun! Sorry!" She put on a smile, and, steeling her resolve, she got onto the bike. _I'm not causing any more trouble for Kurosaki-kun anymore._ She swore.

Orihime remained silent for the first part of the way back, rehearsing her lines in her mind.

Then, at the mid-point of their journey, a junction, Ichigo stopped, waiting for the train to pass.

Seeing her chance, Orihime suddenly said, "Hey, Kurosaki-kun, remember how we met? You thought I was trying to kill myself!" Then, she added a laugh.

There was no response from Ichigo. Perhaps he didn't hear me?" Orihime thought, and went on, "You know why I won't ever kill myself, Kurosaki-kun?"

This time she did get a response, an interested "Hmm?" came from Ichigo.

"It's because there're people who'll get sad if I die. I don't want them to be sad, so I won't kill myself." Orihime said. _Okay, now Kurosaki-kun know he won't have to stay by me anymore._

"What if people actually hate you, but you just don't know it?" Ichigo asked. Even though the train had passed, they remained stationary at the junction.

Orihime was surprised at the question, but quickly recovered, and answered, "This can also go the other way round, can't it? People may like you without you noticing it. They themselves may not notice it either."

Then, Orihime found herself unnecessarily adding, "And doing things that trouble people who like you is unforgivable, in my viewpoint. Because they don't have to like me, I do my best to thank them, not to burden them."

_And that's why I'm doing this._ She thought to herself. _There's no reason for Kurosaki-kun to stay by me. I won't bother him anymore._

The bike ride continued in silence.

* * *

Right. Left. One turn left. As the bike ride went on, Orihime started counted the number of turns left.

Then, they reached her house, and the bike had come to a halt.

However, Orihime found great difficulty in getting down from the bike. It was as if there was a great weight attached to her leg, preventing her from dismounting the bike.

_Be a good girl. Don't burden him anymore and disappear quietly from his life._ Orihime commanded herself. The weight on her leg seemed to grow heavier.

_Go! There's no reason to stay by him anymore. He doesn't need you!_ She told herself. And then, the weight seemed to be connected to her heart, too. The harder she tried to move her leg, the harder her heart hurt. Suddenly, she had difficulty in breathing as well.

_All you're doing is cause him trouble! Go!_ As she yelled at herself in her mind, the weight seemed to move up her body steadily, from her leg, to her heart, then it seemed to get stuck in her throat. Only one sentence resonated in her mind: _I have to go._

But she didn't want to go. She wanted to stay, and feel her hand in Ichigo's if possible. But she couldn't. She couldn't, shouldn't stay or touch Ichigo's hand. As she struggled, even the sentence disappeared, and all she was left with was a painful lump in her throat.

_Fine. If I definitely can't have one wish, I should be allowed the other one._ She found herself reasoning with herself.

"Kurosaki-kun? Can I touch your hand?" As she said this sentence, the weight disappeared from her leg, the pain subsided, and she dismounted the bike. _I'll just touch his hand, and then disappear. I won't bother him ever again._

"Uhh… Alright." Ichigo seemed a bit taken aback by the request, but still held out his hand.

Slowly, gingerly, Inoue Orihime's hand inched towards Ichigo's, and fell into it.

_It's so warm._ The thought immediately struck Orihime. Then, the warmth from where their hands met travelled up her arm, through her spine, and spread to her entire body.

She started to feel things other than its warmth. His hand was slightly sweaty, probably from holding the bike handle. It felt slightly rough, and Orihime could feel the creases and contours of his hand without moving hers. And it that a callous under her pinky finger?

_But still_, she thought, _It's so warm._

As she savoured the sensation of her hand in his, she realized that she wanted more. She wanted to feel how her body fitted in his arms, how it would feel with his hand in her hair, and…

Suddenly, Orihime's eyes shot wide open in horror, as she realized another thing.

_How would it be like to kiss him?_

"Good night, Kurosaki-kun." Without saying another word, Orihime hastily turned around, and walked towards her front door.

By the time she reached the doorstep, tears were freely cascading down her face. The pain in her heart was returning in full force, getting sharper by each step.

She hadn't just given in to her selfish desire of touching Ichigo's hand.

She had made herself realize that she had fallen in love with Kurosaki Ichigo, the boy she had caused so much trouble for.

The boy who never had any reason to stay by her other than to make sure she didn't commit suicide.

The boy who definitely wouldn't love her back.

"So this is the punishment for being selfish and burdening other people with my thoughts." She whispered to herself, as another teardrop rolled down her face.

As she closed the door, she lamented, _An unrequited love is fine if I don't know about it. Now I've learnt about it…_

Just when the door was about to close, she dissolved into tears.


	13. Chapter 13

I'm not even going to try explaining my absence. But I'm not leaving this fic unfinished.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Bleach _or the characters. The creative storyline of this fic ended up being mine though. :P

* * *

As the door swang close, Kurosaki Ichigo found himself musing over Orihime's odd behaviour that evening.

_Should I go check on her?_ He thought, as he thoughts ran over the evening's events.

First, she didn't put any red bean paste onto her rice in dinner.

Then, she wore her gloves inside-out while doing the dishes.

And why did she randomly ask to touch his hand?

He stared at his palm, as he recalled the sensation of having her hand in his. It had seemed so small and fragile, and it had been shivering. _How could she have survived till now on her own?_ He wondered, as he continued looking into his now empty hand.

_That's off the point._ Ichigo closed his palm, and shook his head. _Something must be wrong. I have to check up on Orihime. _

And so, he walked towards the front door, and raised his fist to knock.

* * *

When Kurosaki Ichigo decided to knock, Inoue Orihime had already stopped her tears, and had moved onto trying to control the unstoppable hitches in her breath. _Breathe. I am finnnnnne. I am - _

Suddenly, a series of knocks came from the door. "Inoue! It's Ichigo!"

In surprise, her voice got caught in her throat, and she let out a whimper which sounded suspiciously like a sob.

Silence loomed for the few seconds which Ichigo took to react. _Please please please don't let him have heard that. _She prayed.

A series of even more violent knocks ensued. "Inoue! What's happened? I've heard you! Open the door!" Ichigo's voice sounded.

_He mustn't see me like this. It'll only trouble him if he knows._ So, Orihime stayed still. _Maybe he'll think he imagined that if there's no more noise._ She clamped her hand over her mouth, muffling the sobs which escape disobediently.

Ichigo was practically thrashing against her door now. "Inoue! What's wrong? Open the door!"

She started taking deep breaths in between sobs. _Breathe in… And out. _She chanted in her mind. _Don't think about him. I'm fine. _

Just at the moment when Orihime finally felt that she can bring her emotions under control, everything went still.

Not that Orihime wasn't relieved that Ichigo had stopped, but she couldn't help but question what was going on. She stayed silent, concentrating on any noises from the doorstep.

Suddenly, she heard scuffling. _He didn't get into trouble with the neighbours, did he?_ Slowly, gingerly, Orihime crept towards the peephole on the door.

Just when she was reaching for the handle, the door swang open, nearly hitting her its swing.

Orihime dropped to the floor, staring up in shock at a face with orange hair. "What… Kurosaki-kun… how…?"

"The spare key under the mat." He explained curtly. "Now why didn't you open the door?"

Orihime looked away, half from shame and half wishing that he couldn't tell from her face that she'd been crying in this dim light.

As his eyes concentrated on her face, more precisely the tear strains on there, his scowl deepened. "Wait a minute… Have you been crying?" He asked. At the same time, he kneeled, and his face was inches away from hers.

Orihime tried to draw back, but only succeeded in pushing herself as closely against the shoe cabinet as possible.

"Answer, Inoue! Dammit, I can't do anything if you don't tell me!" Ichigo cried, and put his hands onto her shoulders.

He might as well had shook her with all his might. The aching familiarity of his touch nearly made Orihime reel back from the impact.

His palms were pushing against her shoulders, but the touch was still gentle. She could feel each of his fingers clasped around her shoulder blades, and the warmth emanating from each of them. She could see his eyes bearing into hers earnestly, silently inquiring.

All of a sudden, something warm seemed to be trailing down Orihime's face. What could that be?

And why is her vision blurring up?

At the arrival of a teardrop on her palm, Orihime realized that she was crying. _Kurosaki-kun is so nice. But t__his is only going to trouble him more. _

"Sor… Sorry." She gasped, in between her sobs. _The least that I can do is to apologize._

"Dammit, Inoue, I'm asking what's wrong! Why are you apologizing! You haven't done anything wrong!" Ichigo's eyes bore straight into hers, and for a split second, she almost believed it, and thought that she had done nothing wrong.

But she has. She couldn't run away from the fact that she had been taking advantage of his kindness, making him worry, and if he was insisting for her to confess her sins, then…

"I love you." She blurted out.

That wasn't what she had wanted to say.

But just when she was about to open her mouth, she realized that it actually had summed everything up. She had made all her mistakes; in which falling in love with him was one of them, all because she had taken advantage of his kindness.

And frankly, Ichigo's next line came too fast for her to say anything.

"So you are apologizing… For falling in love with me?"

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo's evening had been an emotional roller cycle.

He had been confused by Inoue Orihime's unnatural behaviour, agitated when she didn't open the door, worried after he noticed her crying…

And now, he's back to being confused.

More like dumbfounded. Inoue Orihime, who had asked to hold his hand, then cried while trying to keep him from knowing within thirty minutes, had just confessed to him.

And that was after a random, unrelated apology.

When after a few moments, Ichigo's question hadn't received an answer, he added, "Why?"

At that question, Orihime stared back at him, dumbfounded as well, as if he had asked a question with one of the most obvious answers in the world.

"Because you only spent time with me because you thought I was going to kill myself. And so I caused you trouble." Her tone was flat, and her pace was even. It was as if she were reciting from a well-studied textbook. But at the same time, her voice quivered.

Somehow, that brought a stab to his heart.

"First of all, you don't trouble me. Not at all. You got it?" He looked into her eyes, and tried to put every ounce of determination that he possessed into persuading her that he had meant it.

Perhaps Orihime was waiting for the second part of the statement, but she didn't seem to react. Her irises continued to hold that darkness, as if she could prophesize everything that was about to happen, and had already resigned herself to her fate.

And in a sense, she had been right.

What could he say next anyway?

She had pinpointed the exact reason that Ichigo had given to himself for staying by her. And that kept Kurosaki Ichigo tongue-tied over the next statement, as she had pointed out that he no longer had any reason to stay by her.

And as his previous anxiety proved, that was obviously untrue.

How could he figure out what to say when he didn't know how he thought, or felt?

And so, he continued grasping Orihime by her shoulders, he looked into her eyes, as his reeled back to memories what they had gone through.

They had built snow water lilies together.

He had caught her cheering herself up.

She didn't leave him after she saw him fighting.

She said that he was a wonderful person.

All these memories seemed to hint at something, each contributing a piece of the puzzle. But Ichigo still couldn't tell the reason why he still wanted to stay by Inoue Orihime.

Seconds, minutes, and maybe an hour has passed, but Orihime had regained her composure after some time, and now she was trying to sit up, awkwardly as Ichigo's hands were still on her.

"Kurosaki-kun… I'm fine now. It's OK for you to leave." Orihime's voice sounded somewhere amidst Ichigo's thoughts.

Trapped by his thoughts, Ichigo muttered an absent-minded response, "No, stay with me. Just for a minute."

As soon as those unmeasured words escaped from Ichigo's mouth, he found his answer.

It wasn't that he had a reason to stay by her.

He simply wanted her to stay with him.

_Stay with me._ That was what he had wanted to tell her since the very beginning.

At the realization, he crushed her in his arms.

* * *

And... That's all that I've done till now. I promise I will never give up on this story. I just need time. :P And I'll love it if you guy would comment and give some feedback.

=Babiip

02/09/2012 02:46


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I've been saying this for years, I do not own Bleach.

* * *

Inoue Orihime might have thought that she had made up her mind to end her relationship with Kurosaki Ichigo, but in no way was she prepared for this moment.

Why was suddenly she in the arms of Kurosaki Ichigo, the person who she had just realized she was in love with? It was so sudden, she didn't even get the chance to put her arms around him.

Should she? She wondered. It was usually customary to hug the other person back when one was hugged, right? She could barely hear the sounds of her thoughts above the noise of her beating heart though. She raised her hands, and commanded them to bend and adhere to the boy's figure.

Whether it was due to the little blue men weighing her arms down, the little black men holding them in place, or otherwise, she just couldn't bring herself to move her arms further.

Why was it so difficult? Kurosaki-kun did it so easily! His head was settled right in the crook of her neck! She turned her head downwards to observe. Sure enough, she could see his shoulder stationary in front of her frame, and his right arm which extended from it.

She traced his arm with her vision, shifting slowly towards his hands. His upper arm was kept at a weird angle in the space between the two of them, and she wondered if it would get tired soon.

Then her eyes arrived at his elbow, and took the turn. If she strained her neck, she could just barely see his forearm, strapped against her frame.

And his hands… Well, she couldn't see them, which was a shame, but she could feel them behind her back, held into a fist, and…

They were trembling?

As Kurosaki Ichigo realized that he wanted Inoue Orihime to stay with him, a sense of overwhelming fear washed over him.

Was that why he suddenly took her into his arms? Who knows. But he did know one thing: he wanted her to stay with him just as much as he wanted to stay with her.

And… it scared him. An irrational part of him said that no, nothing good would come out of this. You would not be strong enough to handle both her and you. Look at you! A no-good yankee who no one wanted to talk to in school. It would be too much to even call you human, when you aren't even capable of human emotion.

As these thoughts ran in his mind, unconsciously he held onto Orihime tighter.

And then he realized he wanted her to hold him back.

His first reaction was: No. He had to hold back. And so he pulled back, removing his body from hers, though his hands lingered on her shoulders.

As he made a move to open his mouth, and to remove his hands, the girl smiled, and spoke, with heart-wrenching sweetness, "Kurosaki-kun, you shouldn't say that you wanted me to stay with you just because I said I loved you. Especially to the likes of me."

"Don't say that!" Something in Ichigo seemed to have been triggered by that last sentence. "I want you to stay with me because I love you too."

…

And just seconds ago, he had told himself to hold back and not to pressure her to stay with him. He had half a mind to smash his head against the wall.

Except that to his horror, Orihime's eyes filled with tears again. "But that wouldn't do! If you want me to stay with you, then I will stay with you because I want to, and then I will be staying with you for myself, and then it'll be bad!"

Without thinking whether he was trying to persuade her to stay with him or to stay away from him, he answered, "It's the same with me! I don't want to make you stay with me, but I want to stay with you, and when I stay with you, I'm making you stay with me, which is the same!"

…

One second passed.

Ichigo muttered, "What did I just say?" Sporting a crimson blush up to his ears, he blinked in confusion.

Orihime blurted out, "I didn't get what I just said." Meanwhile, one lopsided tear made its way down her tear-stricken, but uncomprehending face.

And then they just had to laugh. Partly due to the hilarity of the other's appearance, partly due to the absurdity of what they had just said, but to neither's realization, they were laughing out of happiness and relief that the other loved them.

It was like digging in a deep, dark hole and realizing that you've found light because you had dug to the other side of the earth.

After finally catching her breath, Inoue Orihime looked up, and saw the clock. "Oh, no! Kurosaki kun, it's already 1am! There's still school tomorrow! Hurry up and go back!"

Kurosaki Ichigo was reluctant to go, but instinctively reached down to feel his pocket. "Shit! I don't have the house key! I have to get back before all of them go to sleep!" He sprung up, went for the front door, and then he turned.

"Inoue, I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked, with the barest hint of a smile.

"And afterwards, I'll meet you at the canteen as well." Her smile was radiant. "Good night, Kurosaki-kun."

"Sweet dreams, Inoue." Then, he shut the door.

Thus ended another night.

From that point onwards, their wish to each other, "stay with me" was granted, and it stayed that way. In the meantime, they didn't worry too much about love, but felt each other's presence to the fullest.

One day, he would tell her that the canteen wasn't actually a canteen at all, but a restaurant which used to be run by his late mother.

Sometime after that, she would tell him all about her house using to be a store ran by her deceased brother.

Day by day, their love for each other grew and blossomed, until one day when he just couldn't hold it in anymore, and confessed his love to her again.

She would laugh, and tell him that she knew already because he had told her a long time ago.

Things progressed quite rapidly from that point.

And every night that they met, on foot, by bike, or later by car, he would always bring her back to her place.

Well, that was, until they got their own place together.

_Stay with me_. Their hearts never cried that line silently again.

* * *

THE END.

=babiip 7th August, 2013.


End file.
